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Thursday, April 10, 2008

Paris Cafe

Before I went off to Paris I wrote about not wanting to go off ina Paris Cafe post... I mentioned a book, Paris Cafe: The Select Crowd.Rick Tulka, the illustrator, found me through the link and remembered we'd met ages ago when I did illustration for the NYTimes. We arranged to meet the next Friday.Rick brought his book and we compared the real Didier, the waiter. With his illustrationLe Select's patron, Monsieur Francis. A still life atLe Select! The real thing.Rick has been drawing at Le Select 5 days a week since he moved to Paris from Brooklyn 13 years ago. He said he misses the smokers, but they've been replaced by the non-smokers. A cigarette makes an excellent prop for an artist.Le Select's resident cat... Rick counts out his change. You can see more drawings at Rick Tulka's website. I've always loved Le Select's logo, "Martin" an artist running with his portfolio. Le Select is one of the last remaining Paris cafes to stick with the old ways of doing things...more in the video.

20 comments:

Wonderful post, Carol!! And thanks for those links--I'd seen Rick on Sunday Morning--that's my favorite show of all time. We watch if faithfully every week. (I met Rita Braver at O'Hare airport one year on the road and it made my day!) This was a big fave for me--great job, as you always do. Now I know why you purchased your little cafe table, too. ;))sue

Is there no end to your acquaintance? By now, I should just take it for ranted that you now EVERYONE!On another note, I found the Heinz bottles just a bit jarring.....but I take comfort from the fact that ketchup is no longer the biggest selling condiment in the USA, having lost its place to salsa.As for your stint with Sesame Street, I bet I've seen your work. I believe I was , well my SON was, a charter subscriber. A shame I pitched them.

Jeanette even though Le Select is tradionally an "old" French cafe, it was very much the American Ex-pats' cafe and even says "American Cafe" on it's awning, so Heinz Ketchup is not out of place. Your eagle eye again catching those details. And as for my stint as a freelancer at Semame Street, I have nothing to show for either :)

I really enjoyed the video, even had to play it again and watch it with hubby. I'll be sure to keep a look out for his book.I'm curious to see how the smoking ban changes things. I'm guessing the ban is only for inside? I don't know how you'd enforce a ban on the outside tables - I know even though here in California it's illegal, folks still smoke in outside eating areas.

Great video, thanks! There is only one cafe here and well, we need more. Cafe's one of the best things about living in a city. It's one of the only things I miss after moving away from the NW (US). I hope Paris makes a comback with them.